Experts from Michigan State University and the Michigan Municipal League are in the midst of gathering local feedback before presenting their preliminary report on the future of Moloney’s Alley.

City Manager Spencer Nebel said various meetings have taken place with the Sault Ste. Marie City Commission, Downtown Development Authority, the Planning and Development Commission and the Historical Society — as well as a public drop-in session. More meetings are scheduled to take place today concluding with a public drop-in session from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ramada Plaza Hotel Ojibway located at 240 W. Portage Avenue.

At 11 a.m. Saturday, the plan coordinators will present their preliminary report at the same location.

Nebel anticipated a number of different options will be up for initial consideration and further estimated that the presentation incorporating these preliminary designs will run for approximately an hour.

“They will be back up again after refining those ideas and concepts,” said Nebel.

The Moloney Alley Design Charrette is targeting five privately-owned properties which include the former home of the Sault Co-Op Grocery Store west of Osborn Boulevard and everything between Moloney’s Alley and Ridge Street to the back of the China Cate and The Downtowner Bar.

The brainstorming sessions currently underway are designed to build on ideas and concepts generated during a placemaking vision session held in Nov. of 2012.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie is utilizing grant money for this project in an effort to make the aforementioned area more appealing with the hope of funneling more tourist traffic around the corner of W. Portage onto Ashmun Street.